Cauldron II: The Pumpkin Strikes Back - Reception

The game was well received by video game journalists upon its release. ZX Spectrum magazines Crash and ZX Computing awarded Cauldron II their top accolades: "Crash Smash" and "Monster Hit", respectively. Similar to the first Cauldron, praise from the video game press focused on the graphical quality, and criticism directed at the gameplay was mixed. Computer and Video Games reviewer Paul Boughton praised the size of the game world, but criticized the audio quality of the Amstrad CPC and ZX Spectrum versions, citing the limited capabilities of the two systems. In concluding his review, Boughton felt any version of the game would be worth purchasing. Phil South of Your Sinclair praised the game's presentation and design, calling the graphics "lovely" and the platform gameplay "original". ZX Computing' reviewer praised the audio-visuals, and recommended the title for fans of the previous game. A Crash magazine reviewer lauded the audio-visuals of the ZX Spectrum version and commented that the gameplay offered more than its predecessor's. The reviewer described Cauldron II as difficult, but felt that the sense of accomplishment gained from successful completion outweighed the negative aspect. Computer Gamer's reviewer criticized the bouncing gameplay, citing unpredictable reactions and difficulty in navigating around tough enemies. Rich Pelley and Jon Pillar of Your Sinclair echoed similar comments. Retro Gamer writer Craig Grannell described the game's difficulty as the "only real criticism". The ZX Computing reviewer also criticized the bouncing aspect, but praised the overall game design as enjoyable. Phil King, another Crash reviewer, praised the Silverbird re-release. He called the graphics "colorful" and "well-animated", and felt that the game was of good value despite an excessive difficulty. The commercial success of the two Cauldron games prompted Palace to give Brown more creative freedom for his following project, Barbarian: The Ultimate Warrior.